For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

In Upland, Indiana, there is a fascinating tradition at Taylor University that began in the 80s. Once each year, on the Friday before exams, they have a “Silent Night” men’s basketball game. Students dress in outrageous costumes and pack the stands. But there is complete silence until the 10th point is scored. At that point, they erupt in cheers at an unparalleled moment. At game’s end, they sing Silent Night together before continuing on to a campus-wide Christmas celebration.

You can check out the ESPN feature on the 2015 event here: 

In many ways, this silent start is a lot like Advent, a time when we are watching and waiting, with bated breath. It is a time for us to focus on what unfolds before us, carefully observing each detail, eager to respond. As this time draws to a close, we find ourselves on Christmas Eve.

Many of us think of Christmas worship as a quiet time. We sing carols about a baby in the manger who doesn’t cry, and a “silent night” when “all is calm.” Truly these images bring us into a sense of holy awe and reverence for the importance of this night.

But Christmas worship is also about the joy that this good news brings, so perhaps we can take a few cues from Taylor University, and as we light candles that fill the room and declare that Christ is born, imagine that 10th point has been made, and erupt with singing “Joy to the World!”

After all, this is news that changes lives! It is the night we have been waiting for! Christ’s birth deserves our unreserved revelry. So smile, laugh, cheer, and even clap in celebration. And in doing so, we will be living into those words given to us by the prophet to go out in joy, a joy that will radiate from us into all the world, and just might make Christmas a bit brighter for those around us.

Written by Rev. Elizabeth Lovell Milford

On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

What gifts are you giving this year? Some parents I know have come up with a plan. In lieu of piles of presents their children don’t really need, they are preparing to give 4 gifts:

Something they want,
Something they need,
Something to wear,
Something to read.

The idea behind this, of course, is to not let consumerism drive the season, and instead to focus on thoughtful and meaningful gifts. While this isn’t quite the pattern we follow in my house, I understand the appeal and the call for us to think carefully about our gift-giving, rather than getting sucked into the need for extravagance.

As Christians, many of us trace our gift-giving traditions to the story of those visitors from the east who presented gifts to the Christ child. I’ve been amused at some comics that have questioned these gifts, arguing that they were far from practical for a newborn. One of my favorites quips that after the magi leave, three “wiser women” show up with diapers, formula, and casseroles for the week. But before we dismiss the magi’s gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh as impractical, we should consider the meanings they bear. These gifts help foreshadow the importance of this little child in a manger, and the story that is to come.

First, gold. This one is the easiest to connect as a valuable gift of wealth, which is often associated with kings. Such a gift might represent Christ’s role as a leader of the people, a king for all the nations.

Second, frankincense, a perfume or incense usually connected with a Deity. This is what was offered at the altar in Jerusalem, that emitted a strong fragrant odor and was considered a symbol of the Divine name and an emblem of prayer. It is a reminder of Jesus’ incarnation, God in flesh.

Third, myrrh, an oil used primarily as a part of preparation for burial. This is the same oil that Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea will bring to the tomb in John 19. This gift is ominous, foreshadowing the suffering Christ would undergo through death on the cross.

Together, these gifts carry powerful imagery and symbolism, spelled out neatly in the final verse of the carol “We Three Kings”:

Glorious now, behold him arise,
King and God and Sacrifice;
Alleluia, Alleluia, sounds through the earth and skies.

In contrast to the angelic proclamation of a baby, these gifts are the magi’s proclamation of the fullness of God’s story. Like the prophets before them, they bring news that is at once sobering and hopeful – a promise to all the nations for a salvation that will be eternal.

It is in these verses, tucked neatly into the story of an extraordinary birth, that we are reminded of the entirety of the story. Another layer is added to our Christmas expectations, and we discover, in three simple gifts, just how amazing this gift is for the world.

As we prepare to unwrap those gifts under the tree, may we also prepare ourselves to unwrap God’s good news to us, both of the child in the manger, and the one who will become the Savior of all. Then, we will find the true joy of Christmas, which leads us to echo the Apostle Paul in saying “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15).

Written by Rev. Elizabeth Lovell Milford

When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

No angels with wings unfurled here! No cute baby in a cute little manger! No poor shepherds kneeling in a stable!

Matthew wants us to know! We are dealing with royalty. We are dealing with a King.
But where is the palace? Where are the royal entrapments? Where are the royal attendants?
Magi rejoiced at a simple rented house. Just a poor, rented house where Mary and Joseph stayed while they paid homage in Bethlehem. Inside, only a poor mother with child in her arms. No fatherly King with broad smile passing out cigars. No elaborate furnishings. No guards asking for ID’s as the Magi entered. No royal caretakers of a new prince.

Matthew wants us to know! This King is unexpected. This king won’t be recognizable. This is not the universe as usual. This is the universe turned upside down. This is the unaccepted. And the world order is turned around.

This will be the King of the disenfranchised! This will be the King of the poor in spirit! This will be the King of the mourners, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, the persecuted, the oppressed. This is the New Order. So, Rejoice!

Matthew wants us to know! Rejoicing in tribulation is now possible. Not because everything is all right. Not because everything will end happily ever after. Not because life is without suffering, free from poverty and starvation, full of getting what we want. Not because evil world orders have been conquered.

But because Magi rejoiced over finding, not a palace, but a simple house with mother and child. To this child, not to a palatial prince, they offered gifts.

My wife, Susan, often shames me without so much as a spoken word. She rejoices in helping. Or so it seems. Rides for friends to a multitude of doctor appointments and hair appointments. Rides for a bothersome, mentally challenged woman to weekly meetings they share and the multitude of phone calls she places each week that Susan patiently answers. The multitude of things she does each week for our church, our family, our neighbors with no complaint. One can hear the joy as she talks about each of these, and others, when finally arriving back home, often tired and hurting from afflictions. I have learned to bite my tongue and find joy in her joy. I should probably say that to her more.

Matthew wants us to know! The Magi, searching for a King, rejoiced over finding a simple house with mother and child. Finding real joy, too, is different now. It’s found in ways we help others, not in gains for ourselves! It’s found in not in thinking inwardly, but acting outwardly. It’s found in simple, little, mostly unnoticed acts of love.

It’s found in a simple, poor house where lives mother and child, not a palatial palace.

Written by Rev. Cuyler V. Smith
What am I passionate about at Heritage?
The mission and outreach programs of the church that meet the New Testament imperative to “feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the prisoners,” etc.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

If you don’t know Paul’s story, you might think the Advent text for today is hopelessly naïve. But the Apostle Paul was no Professor Pangloss, thinking that everything happens for the best in the best of all possible worlds. He writes these words while he languishes in prison awaiting trial. If he is talking about this same imprisonment in the first chapter of 2 Corinthians, we know that he was “so utterly, unbearably crushed” that he “despaired of life itself.”

So what does Paul really mean when he tells us to rejoice? N.T. Wright suggests that “rejoice” might better be translated “celebrate,” in the sense of the celebrations commonly held in the Roman Empire to offer thanksgiving to the ancient pagan gods or the newest “gods,” the emperors themselves. The current emperor would be referred to as “son of God” and was praised for bringing peace to the world—through conquest, of course. We can begin to grasp the seditious nature of Paul’s words—and perhaps why he was in prison—if we understand that “rejoice in the Lord” may really mean to celebrate the fact that Christ is King, and Caesar is not.

So how do these thoughts relate to the Advent season? Matthew’s gospel makes clear that King Herod grasped the prophecy that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem and would be a threat to his reign, so much so that the Holy Family had to flee into Egypt to escape his wrath. But Herod, like Caesar, failed to grasp that the kingship of Jesus is much more countercultural than they could have imagined. It’s based on love and not coercion. So Paul tells us to celebrate quietly and graciously and lovingly as we play our part in serving God and humanity by making God’s good creation what it was intended to be. It is in this hope of the coming of God’s kingdom that the prisoner Paul tells us not to be anxious and to turn everything over to God in prayer so that the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds.

I did an interview a couple of weeks ago with someone who until recently held a good deal of power within a particular corporate structure. When asked what he was proudest of, he listed some things he had done to make life better for the most vulnerable in his organization. Then he said he was proud that he had followed the advice of one of his mentors to do everything professionally as though it would appear the next day on the front page of the paper. He said he was still able to look himself in the mirror because he resolved years ago never to do anything he was asked to do that was unethical, even if it meant he was fired on the spot.

In Philippians 4:8, the next verse after our reading for today, Paul calls on his listeners to do whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, and whatever is commendable. That’s what my interviewee has obviously attempted to do, and that is something to which we can all aspire as we celebrate the Christ child and the hope he brought into the world.

Written by Tom Scott
What am I passionate about at Heritage? I love our education program and the opportunity to teach an adult Sunday school class for the last 23 years. I love the fact that Presbyterians are so open to new perspectives, to metaphorical and poetic language, and to studying biblical texts in historic context.

And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

The dictionary says JOY – is a feeling of great pleasure and happiness
Delight, joyfulness, jubilation, triumph, exultation, rejoicing, happiness, gladness, glee, exhilaration, exuberance.
Imagine the joy that Mary experienced as the angel Gabriel told her she was to give birth to the Son of God “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,” and then the exhilaration and sheer delight she felt as she anticipated the birth of Jesus.

Live the joy of family, the delightful holiday decorations, the pleasure of holiday foods shared with loved ones, as imagining the triumphant elation that Mary felt upon the birth of Jesus.
Live the joy of the season that is expressed in the colors and sounds and scents and tastes of the season, as we anticipate and prepare for the celebration of Jesus’ birth.

Kay Warren, the author of “Choose Joy: Because Happiness Isn’t Enough” has an interesting definition of “Joy”:

Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of her life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright, and the determined choice to praise God in every situation.

She goes on to clarify that there is nothing about happiness in her definition because life comes in ups and downs or good times filled with happiness and bad times filled with pain and sorrow. These two tracks, both joy and sorrow, run parallel to each other throughout your life. If you look down those tracks to the horizon, the tracks become one and that’s how it will be for us as the joy and sorrow merge into one. “The day we meet Jesus Christ in person and see the brightness of who he is,” it will all come together for us and make sense.

As I read the words of Luke 1:46-55 and think about Kay Warren’s definition, and the analogy of the train tracks, it brings to mind that in Luke 1: 26-38, Mary has just been told that she will conceive and give birth to the Son of God and in spite of concerns that she’d be shunned and ridiculed and possibly even stoned, she responded in worship and praise. “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” Mary endures the trials of pregnancy and the pain of delivery and experiences great joy upon the birth of Jesus. The tracks of joy and sorrow merge as one.

I believe that the tracks of joy and sorrow merge over and over throughout life until that day when we finally meet Jesus Christ in person and see the brightness of who he is and it all makes sense.

Written by Kaye Mero
What am I passionate about at Heritage?
I’m most passionate about being part of the endless possibilities that I believe lie ahead of Heritage Presbyterian Church. Based on the incredible selflessness and the willingness of the members of our congregation to join in to do the work of our church both physically and financially, I believe we can accomplish anything we desire.

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

 JOY. .a feeling of great pleasure and happiness, something or someone greatly valued or appreciated, according to sources. Our joy…our children, new home, new job, promotion at work, travel, etc., seems dismal when we consider the news Mary brought!! Mary, a teenager to become the mother of Jesus!! Elizabeth, her kinsman, an older woman expecting a child coming together to rejoice at the news!!!! What a reunion of relatives when Mary came to share this exciting news with Elizabeth!

How Mary must have felt when she was told she was to be the mother of Jesus, so young and not married. Me? Why me? We see that trust was the strong point here. Her belief is God carried her through any questions she MUST have had!

As we begin celebrating the birth of the Christ child, let us direct our thoughts toward others… service to those needing help for their families; food, clothing or a kindness shown in other ways. Our JOY in helping others can be a tool, not just for others but for ourselves.

Let us ‘Go out in Joy’ celebrating with others the news of Jesus’ birth and celebrate not just during this Advent season but every day of our lives so that others can see Jesus in us.

Written by Mary Ann Nicholas, who has served as Elder at HPC, Angel Bells, and Hope Circle
What am I passionate about at Heritage?
“My love of Heritage is for the many people who show love daily not just to members but to the community, going out of their way to make visitors feel welcome.”

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.Say to those who are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.”

Today we begin to look at the light of joy.

Our Scripture talks about the dry, parched wilderness rejoicing and blooming with fragrant flowers as we begin to see the majesty and glory of God.  Although you’ve just read the NRSV of the text, I’d like you to read part of it again from The Message. The title of the passage is “The Voiceless Break into Song”.

Wilderness and desert will sing joyously, the badlands will celebrate and flower – like the crocus in spring, bursting into blossom, a symphony of song and color.  Mountain glories of Lebanon – a gift.  Awesome Carmel, stunning Sharon – gifts.  God’s resplendent glory, fully on display.  God awesome, God majestic.

Can’t you hear the music in the passage?   I can see the rose bud sprouting and blooming everywhere.  I can feel the thunder from the skies when Elijah prayed, God sending fire down to consume the burnt offering on the altar in response.  I can hear the angels singing Gloria in excelsis Deo while the shepherds worshipped the baby in His mother’s arms.

At times, we as Christians may feel like the voiceless.  It can be hard to express our faith publicly, especially around the holiday season. We are surrounded by so many secular images and pressures that the true meaning of the season can get lost. But the Scripture tells us to take courage, be strong and know that God is coming to save us.  We should break into song.  Yes!, we can sing with joyful anticipation of the coming Savior, born in a manger to redeem us all.

I don’t know about you, but I want to be like a child again, hopping on one foot in excitement during this Advent season.  I want to look forward to the birth of my Lord.  I want to sing GREAT IS OUR JOY! from the rafters.

God is awesome and majestic.  Nothing is better than joyfully praising Him in song.

Written by Denise Engelhardt, Music Director and Pianist

What am I passionate about at Heritage?
I am passionate about the music of this church, of course.  But I also love the people who are always encouraging each other in good times and bad.

“I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”

When we slow down and look around, we see great conflicts and wide human suffering, here and across the world. When we slow down and look around, we are struck by the enormous difficulties that can occur in individual lives.

Such situations could make anyone despondent. But there is also a parallel flowing of human compassion, generously-offered aid and support, and a love that overcomes or sustains in any circumstance . That goodness comforts the troubled heart.

Each Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace, is celebrated. Because of his life and message, the possibility of peace is a reality even as it appears that the world has gone awry. For those who see with a wider vision, there is a greater power at work in our disturbing world. It is God, who continues to hold fast to God’s floundering creation. The peace and Presence promised by Jesus will prevail, for we are not left alone.

For years, many people sang this popular folk song:

“Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me. Let there be peace on earth,
the peace that was meant to be. With God as our Father, brothers (sisters)
all are we. Let us walk with our brothers in perfect harmony…”

That song expresses a hope for the peace offered through Jesus’ words, but it also reminds us that we are to become daily bearers of peace to those that have little peace. May peace on earth, in human hearts and lives, begin afresh each day through us by the power of the Holy Spirit!

Prayer: Lord, as we remember the birth of the Prince of Peace, we are filled with a gratitude that is both humbling and hopeful. Even though the world is peppered still with external threats and inner turbulence, it is also laced with hope and love. Even though human life contains mistakes, mishaps, and mixed-up people, we are nevertheless upheld by your promised Presence. Move through our lives, dear Lord. As we are given your peace, enable us to become bearers of that peace to others and the world. In Christ’s holy name, we pray. Amen.

Written by Rev. Robin Gantz
What am I passionate about at Heritage?
I am passionate about the outreach ministry that embodies the teachings of Christ here at Heritage…people putting their faith into action to create a better world! I am proud of our youth groups and their involvement, future leaders in the faith!

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Group projects are disliked across the board.  No matter what the subject or the topic, there is usually an audible groan when a teacher announces that the students will be working in teams to complete a project.  The reason that no one likes group projects is that, very quickly, the group falls into an imbalance between the hard working students and those that are perfectly content with having their work competed by said hard working students.  Inevitably someone in the group will not pull their weight and do their assigned piece of the project and someone else will have to do it for them in order for the whole group to not get marked down.  Sometimes this lack of effort can cause major friction in the group and even fights to occur.

I, thankfully, have not had to endure one of these projects for a number of years now, but a few weeks ago I had a conversation with some of our church’s youth who were venting about their struggles with an English group project where they had to write a paper as a group. The whole premise of this type of group project baffles me.   I could not imagine writing a paper with other students.  Everyone writes differently and has different phrasings or ways that they put paragraphs together that might clash with someone else’s way of doing it.  Even you now might be reading this and thinking to yourself that you would phrase what I am saying differently than I did.  The students would really have to work hard to obtain cohesion with each other to make the paper readable and so that others would be able to understand the message they were trying to get across. It seems impossible.

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul is like a teacher giving out a group assignment.  In the project instructions he makes it very clear that they are all one group and they need to figure out a way to finish their project peacefully.  Their project topic is Christ.  Their task is to glorify God with everything they say and do….all the time. This was a group project for the early church that we are still working on as God’s church today.

Most teachers give check in dates for teams to turn in parts of their projects for review.  This is to make sure that the students are on track and everyone is where they need to be.  Advent is our yearly check in date.  It is a yearly reminder that we are called to something bigger than ourselves.  It gives us a chance to assess if we need to change something about how we have been living.   Paul knows that we will all struggle.  We will not get it right all the time.  We will not have perfect harmony with everyone at all times.  It might be the hardest project that we have ever been given. But together, Paul has hope we can accomplish it, because of our group leader – Jesus Christ himself. So, whether you are one of those hard-working students or one who has slacked off a bit on the assignment, take some time this advent season to check in with your team members to find out how we can all live in and through Christ all year round.

Written by Matt Milford
What am I passionate about at Heritage?
I am passionate about our youth program and helping them to grow in their faith and knowledge of God.